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Writer's pictureJewel E. Leonard

Naming Blog Posts is Hell

The completion of a project is a mixed blessing.

The feeling of accomplishment is second to none. But the feeling of "what do I do with myself now?" is brutally painful.



When I'm as absorbed in a fictional world as I was with this one, it becomes challenging to do anything else, to think about anything else. It affects me so deeply that I don't want to stop to eat or clean. And sleep? HA!


This night will forever stand as a testament of just how much this story literally kept me up at night. (I wasn't writing--this was just me daydreaming about it. At night. While I should have been sleeping.)

"Your longest sleep was 2 hours 39 minutes." No fit, shitbit!)

Also worth mentioning: this was a work night. I had to schlep myself into the office after this.


I've wondered about the literal changes to my brain chemistry while I'm working on a project like this. (Seriously I wish I could have been monitored -- I think that would have been fascinating to see.)


While I've reached this point of "I finished a project, now what?" before (5 Witches' Rede novels, Rays of Sunshine, and most recently, Dr. Love), I have yet to figure out how to cope with it.

It's exhilarating and then depressing as all hell.


It doesn't help me when I finish a standalone tale (such as this fanfic) but still can't let go of the characters.

I seriously told myself, "Once I finish this, I'll have gotten it out of my system." LOL, oh, Past Me. How silly you were!


The main characters of this story grew on me in ways I never could have anticipated and when I reached the 'fin,' that was when I realized:

"Oh, crap. This is actually only just the beginning, isn't it?"


Me talking about my obsession while my neglected home life is a raging fire in the distance.

I have no concrete plans for a sequel, although I will almost certainly write some random scenes here and there as the mood strikes.


We are one week away from the release of the first chapter! My alpha reader has wrapped up his read-through (oh my, I think I've gone and made him blush 🫣). My beta reader is about a third of the way through and just sent me the most delightful feedback:



My alpha reader found out why I said what I did about the texts and doesn't argue it.


On that note, I'm back to my final edits ... because a writer's job is truly never done ... and this is my way of clinging to a project I don't want to let go of.


See you all in a week when we embark on this journey together. :)



The cover (oh, and the fanfic title I've kept carefully hidden) is back here.



Stay sane, deer friends!




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